Promise Returnal
by HypnosisFreak
Summary: Promises with those with godly powers were always kept in memory as she waited in patience for the day her host would return to the shrine from boarding school. At first, there was nothing more than a deity and Miko, but soon a new light and adventure shined down between the two and struck them down with an insatiable feeling for something new in the decades of rules.
1. We Meet - Entry 1

Icy white ears remained perked up above the towering fields of grass as involuntary whimpers and wheezes forced themselves from the small vixen's throat. The air's overpowering amount of smoke from the village was becoming far too unbearable to breathe in as she weaved and darted through the maze-like field, wincing when blades of long grass hit against her muzzle. Guttural words and taunts behind her were the only encouragement the vixen had to continue running as she had to get away from them. There was no safe haven for her anymore, for with no home, no shrine, and family. She would most likely meet her end such as the others had in the area. Fires from the town she had been running away from still roared brightly in the horizon, reminding her of her failure as that of a kitsune. **_Look forward and not backward **,** for their white eyes will only burn with more hatred._**

Grating winds blew each individual hair on the vixen's back as she heard a familiar language being spoken in the distance behind her in a deafening tone. _**Νέοι αλεπού, που φαίνεται να έχει εξαντληθεί από ότι χρησιμοποίησε όλη την ενέργειά σας. Τερματίστε το παιχνίδι μας για να κυνηγήσουν και να αποδεχθεί τη μοίρα σας.** Young fox, which seems to be exhausted from having used all your energy. Shut our game to hunt and accept your fate. _ Small beady pupils dilated as she skidded to a halt when the field of grass ended and the ground shook with each mighty step the coming beast behind her took. Her irregular and ragged breaths made themselves evident as the vixen reluctantly began pivoting on her paws just enough for her eyes to be met with abnormally white pupils peering defiantly at her. It was here.

The beasts were incredibly ugly with their large tusks for lower teeth and loincloths of tattered and bloody tiger's hide. Their skin, colored in the brightest color of crimson from both deformity and blood of innocent citizens within the village. For the first time in over 200 years for her, fear was something she felt strong as she side stepped and began backing up to the nearest tree. Her actions earned a sinister smile from the single beast as it noticed the vixen lowering her ears in a last defense mechanism, her weight balancing out on each paw individually for a decent fight or flight tactic. A loud and guttural snarl made itself audible from the small vixen as she bared her teeth threateningly at the crimson creature as it stepped from the grass, bearing it's kanabō with confidence from the last bloodshed it had induced. It spoke with malice as it cornered the last Kitsune messenger. _**Ελάτε πιο κοντά μικρή αλεπού, ο θάνατος σου θα είναι μόνο μια στιγμή.** Come closer little fox, your death will only be a moment._

With the creature's intimidating and daunting words in mind, the white fox only realized how burned out she actually was. Her lungs were on fire from the large breaths she was forced to take from running for such a long time, while her muscles began giving out from the large strain she had put upon them. Attempting to use her fading magic to convince the creature to give up the pursuit, it resisted the kitsune's magic and continued to slowly advance with its large spike driven club. She continued to back away with fear wrapping tightly around her chest as she stood her ground, not daring to show the creature any weakness or fears. The vixen's pupils quickly dilated as they fixated on the abnormally large kanabō that had been hoisted up to the heavens above before a sharp breath got caught in her throat as the beast struck the ground in front of her. The ground split and she rolled to her right, quickly gathering her bearing in order to get back to her feet before she looked up to see the demon now up close, giving another brutal swing. This was it, she couldn't fight, or dodge the beast's attack anymore. This was her end now. **_Forgive us Inari, and especially me._**

 **THUCK**

An abnormally thick gust of forceful winds grazed momentarily past the vixen's body as her haunches trembled in pain of having held her body up for so long, but she kept her eyes shut. She was nervous; there was no doubt of that. Even before the beast had struck down its kanabō in front of her closed eyes, she had a fear of witnessing that of her own failures. However, upon waiting the situation out for a few more seconds, there was no pain, meaning there needed to be answers to the lack of it. With extreme reluctance, the vixen opened her eyes slowly only to see a young female standing a few feet from her position. Her confident stance was highlighted by her glimmering brunette hair as the rays of the evening sunlight bathed the area in warmth. The green field lit up as the female shot her arm away from her side and caused the kanabō, and it's master to take heavy staggering steps back in sheer shock of the sudden appearance of another being. The vixen observed the girl as she realized what she was, and so did the beast. A mortal.

The once sadistic and prideful grin that had been plastered on the creature's face immediately vanished as it furrowed its eyebrows and staggered to a standstill. Tension within the surrounding area was nearly smothering the vixen as the fires from behind them caught her attention as they roared over in the horizon when suddenly the beast prepared itself for another attack on the duo. From a distance, a small knife glimmered from the field as it shot into the beast's right arm that held the large kanabō, causing the beast to roar in pain and anger as it dropped its weapon to the ground and looked over to its shoulder. Embedded deep into the flesh burned was a now blood covered kunai, it's master stepping from the field with a smirk as he pushed his small glasses up his nose and gathered their attention. "I'm very proud of you Ruby, but I did tell you to wait in the fields for this one. Although it seems this one might have issues understanding the order of our connected towns, and we do not take kindly to such matters. But we do have manners, so forgive my daughter. She's keen to fight for what's right."

Snarling immediately in a raspy tone, the beast peered a moment longer at it's disintegrating skin before it used it's left hand to forcibly jerk the kunai from its flesh before roaring more as the weapon burnt its palms. _**Ανάθεμα και Miko και Γκέκη. Θα κάνουμε σίγουρα θα μετανιώσετε επιλογές σας.** Damn and Miko and Geki. We will definitely make you regret your choice. _

Cerulean irises peered apprehensively at the female turning towards her with a caring smile, her gray eyes offering security as she darted over to her and wrapped her arms around the vixen's upper body. The sound of branches breaking upon impact with the ground quickly snapped the vixen out of her trace as the beast had tried punching down on the two once more. Her lower legs dangled limply as the brunette sprinted with all her might in between the creature's legs before rolling as it stomped down towards its left. "I told you I had it under control dad! I'm not bad at using the charms like you! Just trust me next time okay?! I wasn't gonna use this spirit as bait!"

Silently, the man with silver hair sighed before he stood up tall to watch as his daughter crouched down to a stop behind the creature's leg before sealing a charm on the back thigh, immediately rolling back. The beast grunted and obediently dropped to its knee in which the charm was on before both the vixen and Miko scattered off towards the elder man. "Ruby, dear. I've told you many times that you never think it's finished until the evil spirits stop breathing. I say this for exactly…" With the charm restraining the beast for a short moment, the girl carrying the white fox in her arms was able to gain distance away from the Oni before the charm had the misfortune of burning into ash which then broke the seal. The irritated creature staggered back to its feet and stood to its full height, the shadow on the ground increasing in size as the distorted darkness lumbered over the two females.

The Kitsune looked up at the brunette, who she figured was Ruby, as the human continued to cradle the tired and beaten fox in her arms. Meanwhile, the warm scent of medicinal herbs clinging to the Miko's haori found its way to the Kitsune's nose, and she slowly relaxed in the comforting hold provided by the brunette, causing her to relax in the warmth of her arms involuntarily. Exhaustion seeped into her muscles as the sensation of safety flooded her mind. The world around the fragile looking fox kept moving forward as she drifted in and out of a deep sleep, the brunette noticing the battered and bloody fox eventually sleeping in her arms.

Forceful and harsh breaths from the ungraceful creature momentarily became the only source of noise around the trio as it staggered unnaturally towards them, still bearing its confidence and reassurance of an easy win. After all, most mortals opposed no significant threat towards their rebirth and race, but with its skin burnt and blazed, cockiness was becoming its blindness. A vicious snarl pressed forth through its throat as its feet kicked up soot and dirt with each uncanny step it took, causing the brunette to impulsively cling tighter to the unconscious spirit in a gentle manner to ensure that she wouldn't wake it up once more to such conditions. The creature dug its clawed foot into the abused earth to gain traction as it prepared to carry through with the intention of charging at the trio, the brunette becoming restless at her position next to her father as she watched the oni. Shifting her feet under her nervously, she tightened her protective hold around the fox, pulling her closer to her chest with a motion careful enough to prevent alarming the resting creature. She glanced at her father as he stepped forward with obvious and dangerous intentions. The single Oni made a fatal mistake in treating the threat that Ruby's father posed as simply a fly-like burden.

Resent betrayed clearly within the white eyes as they dilated in anger of the elder man's audacity to step forwards in challenge to it before it forced out an ear piercing laughter. It was confident, but couldn't help but feel minorly intimidated by the man's aura as no mortal could ever confidently step up against that of a demon. It was outrageous, and suspicions were soon turned into real time fear as the silver haired man shouted unintelligible scriptures with confidence and elegance, his time within his working clearly showing as the kunai lit into bright golden flames. The ground shook violently underneath the trio's feet as golden daggers pierced from the ground underneath the creature's feet, impaling through its entire body until the reaction of its skin beginning to engulf in flames was the only thing that could be seen anymore. Flames brighter and holier than that of the flames igniting back over the horizon quickly raised to the sky before the ear piercing scream of the beast slowly became drowned.

Gray eyes peered in astonishment at the silver haired man as he watched the flames crackle and roar over the beast's new imprisonment before he suddenly turned to face her and the two-tailed deity. She noticed a warm hearted smile forming slightly on the corner of the man's lips before he shuffled towards her, only to reach out his hand and gently ruffle the younger girl's hair as the vixen stirred in her sleep. "Your old man just worries about you, dear. You're still incredibly young, and you've learned so much, but you're only 6, you should enjoy your time before taking on the family heritage. But next time, I'll try to listen too. I guess you noticed we had a special god on our side before I did." Chuckling softly to herself, the brunette nodded her head before standing up as tall as she could to her father. "But now we will have to appease for our mistake and fix the issue with gods. That is the daughter of the Schnee messengers. The Kitsunes. Divine followers of Inari itself. Neither man or woman. You will learn more of them in your boarding school this year…"

* * *

 **The next day.**

* * *

Twin-tails stirred restlessly from behind the vixen's bruised and battered body as her perception of sound was slowly returning to her. Her nightmares were too much to bear as they became more vivid, the faces of her family and those who once visited her shrine flashing for what felt to be an eternity in front of her face. Was she dead too now? There was only one way to find the answers to her own questions, and even if she didn't want to learn the truth. She would eventually.

The vixen reluctantly opened her eyes a few times, wincing impulsively when the blurry room was met with the brightening light hanging above her. She felt sick, yet comfortable, as her paws kneaded beneath her body abstractedly in an attempt to familiarize herself with what she had been laid on. Her cerulean colored eyes peered in a daze at the room while her memories bit by bit pieced themselves together. However, upon remembering that of the beast back in the city, she immediately forced herself to rise to her full height on the pillow but paused only to let out a pathetic whimper when pain shot up her legs.

She momentarily paused and took a few seconds to gather her bearings before sparing a glance to her hind leg where the pain mostly came from before scowling. Blood seeped through the bandaging that was firmly wrapped around her back right leg and coated her fur in crimson stains. Her vision blotched in and out as she tensed up and raised her tails, blazing fire forging from the tips as she aimed for the window when the sound of a bird chirping caught her off guard. Where am I? I don't recall coming here and from the looks of my legs. That was no dream. The vixen clenched down her jaw as she padded off of the soft pillow she had been laid on and over towards the window where the creature watched her. _**You, Tengu. I see through your disguise. Tease me not, where are we?** _ The bird outstretched its black wings before taking a few small steps further onto the window sill before a raspy laugh was heard.

 _ **I do not trust your presence around these humans, Kitsune. I have lived on these lands longer than you have, I take no orders from the likes of tricksters like you.**_ A menacing snarl forced it's way from the vixen's throat as she listened impatiently to the crow as it mocked her and belittled her stay. **_But as to where we are, we are at the Rose Shrine. Home to both Ozpin, and Ruby and many worshipers. Call it a safe haven if you will Kitsune._ ** The vixen scowled immediately upon learning of her whereabouts as she had heard stories from those within her own village of the Rose shrine but never tended to pay heed to any of the gossipers. She fully intended on scurrying off, as she had mustered up enough strength to push down on her hind legs until her paws her pressed against the wall. Her tails twitched in focus as she prepared herself to jump up to the window and escape from the new area in a lack of interest for anywhere but her own village.

Her chest had tightened at the painful thought of the ravaged village before she mustered up the strength to give a half-leap forward, barely managing to get half of her body on the window sill before she paused with her claws digging into the wood to hold her in place. The intention of escaping quickly disappeared when the sound of the door sliding open rung out behind the mid-escaping fox. Startled, she lost her claw-hold on the window's edge and came crashing to the floor as long claw marks were left in the wood. The kitsune's fall had startled the crow into flight while it scrambled away from the window sill. The white furred creature found her feet and looked up to meet the same innocent gray eyes from the brunette who had shown up on the battlefield the night before.

The duo wordlessly maintained intent eye contact with each other before the Miko cautiously adjusted her grip on the silver tray in her hands, clueless of how to proceed with the moment. The awkwardness was apparent in the room as the vixen stood in her typical prideful stance when noticing the advantage she had upon the brunette who seemed unsettled when another voice popped up. "Ruby Rose, running off from your training at an hour like..this.." A familiar voice softly echoed from down the hallway as it steadily closed in on the pair until the vixen noticed the silver-haired man walking up carefully behind the younger mortal's back and placing his hand on her head with a sigh. "You've taken quite the interest in this spirit, Ruby. But regardless, you need to be more cautious with your actions around any form of Yōkai, Ruby dear. We must treat them all with the utmost respect and privacy when required for it brings good luck essentially to our shrine sometimes. Next time you must knock before you enter the room occupied by our dear Kitsune, and don't run off from your teachers."

Ruby nervously shifted her weight as she glanced down at the floor momentarily before looking back up at the vixen, an apologetic expression betraying clearly. "I'm sorry for barging in and running off from training. I just wanted to clean her wound before going to train. I'm a worrier." The awkward apology hung in the otherwise silent atmosphere before she raised the tray with a bowl of warm water and a few folded rags sitting on top to simply show to the fox that her intentions were pure. However, immediately upon seeing the bucket, the wary vixen backtracked with a warning snarl before noticing the taller man gently nudging the smaller girl aside before he bowed to the kitsune.

Meeting her eyes out of respect, the man spoke up. "I apologize. My daughter had only the best intentions in her actions, so you will have to forgive her if she spoke or acted out of turn. She is merely 6 years of age and training to become a Miko of this shrine. I understand that this is a very rough time for you, seeing as you lost all host, family, and your shrine to the Oni. I am here to make a deal with you though kitsune, but you will have to do your best to work with us and our little shrine. I know for a fact it is better than allowing you to turn away from the life of a zenko." Lowering her haunches to sit delicately on the wooden floor, the Kitsune looked up at the man as her ears were both attentive to his words and relaxed. She brushed both of her fluffy tails over her small paws to curl up into a smaller area on the floor before the man offered a small bowl of room temperature milk to the vixen. He lowered it a small distance away from the vixen as if not to startle her or seem threatening in any way.

Standing back to his full height, the older man paused as he searched for the words to give another suggestion as not to offend the female deity. "You see, our small village comprises of peace and reliability upon each other, and it has stayed that way for many centuries. We as shrine protectors makes all sacrifices to ensure that. I've noticed without your host nor shrine you may stray from the zenko lifestyle, so in replacement, we offer my daughter as your host in a few years in return for no sly tricks upon our village. " He subtly bowed his head in respect for the kitsune as the vixen made a soft noise in her throat. She gracefully stood off of her haunches and stepped forward to take a lap of the milk, thankful for the gesture as she flicked the end of her tails. The corners of the male's lips tugged into a small smile when he saw that she decided to take some of the milk, then glanced at his daughter as if a cue to continue the interaction with the deity. "We wish to keep you alive rather than banished. Oni will be looking for you."

Intellectual brown irises peered expectantly down upon his daughter as she took a moment to glance in his direction then back to the vixen with a frantic bow, nearly causing the items on the tray to tip forward. The vixen withdrew momentarily from the milk displayed in front of her when the abrupt action startled her before she threateningly raised her hackles with pinned back ears. The female was much more eccentric than that of the elder man in whom the vixen felt a small bit of first impressions respect, while the female was noted to be wary of. "I-Uh, I think we can, or could if we put our effort into it, get along pretty neatly since as a Miko in training, I can be very useful when it comes to spiritual things. I- I mean, I'm pretty sure it'd help with giving me more experience as a Miko if I could assist you with the host issue. I don't mind it." An expression of deadpan remained plastered on the vixen's face as she glanced over at the silver man in search of answers of why she was being offered a new host, however, upon receiving no look of answers, she grunted and resumed lapping thirstily at the milk. Her decision temporarily made until she herself could learn escape routes back to her village.

Watching the interaction between the young Miko and the kitsune, Ruby's father directed his attention back to the kitsune before bowing deeply. "Well, this is no longer involving me, so I'll leave you two to talk about the settlement with the village. Show respect, Ruby." The male gave his daughter an encouraging smile as he glanced in her direction before stepping out of the room, shutting the sliding door with a soft tap against the wood frame. Meanwhile, the white fox gave a few more laps at the milk before she smoothly looked up at Ruby, patiently waiting for the nervous human girl to speak up.

Cerulean irises remained focused upon the brunette as she had not looked up from her feet, only solemnly standing still while balling up the fabric of her haori nervously in her hand before she spoke up hesitantly. "I apologize for acting out on impulses, I just. After my father further explained what his group and we witnessed back at the Higashi village, I couldn't help but feel like maybe I could help you. It's our fault we didn't make it to your village in time when receiving the help message from your shrine. If I had just listened to father and not… lost my temper we could have saved your home, your family, your village and those in it. If I hadn't been so self-centered… You could have had a place to return to and not have to settle for someone such as me." The young girl brought her haori sleeve up to her face to quickly wipe away any evidence of tears appearing in her eyes.

Tension immediately formed in the room between the duo as the vixen came to a halt when processing what the brunette was trying to choke out. Nobody liked to be the bearer of bad news, and from the sounds of it from the brunette, as she desperately tried stifling the hiccups and sniffles, she was feeling guilty about it too. It shocked the vixen, as no child she had come across of 200 hundred years understood the meaning of life and death when it danced openly with the possibilities of another plain of existence. She had no reason to cry over such issues that never involved her, yet there she was, an occasional tear streaming down her porcelain cheek as she tried to remain calm. "We-there was no survivors from the oni's attack by the time my father and his group arrived at the village. The oni tarnished the building and shrine and the people.." The brunette when silent as a familiar look of emptiness remained plastered on her face.

Inari's future legacy was brutally forced to a close for another few hundred years until either another messenger of the god was made, or created. But this was not how the legacy of the Schnee's for Inari was destined to end, even if her family now rested beside Inari himself in the spirit realm where they themselves remained. Thoughts about Inari and her family roamed her mind freely as the fox watched the brunette occasionally sniffle while it was obvious that the young girl's mind was reenacting the events in her mind once again as well. The perturbed kitsune took a hesitant step towards the girl, still restrained by the bandage on her hind leg, the slightest friction of the bandage over the wound causing the fox to wince.

Grabbing the large and plush pillow for the vixen to lay on, she gently slid it on the floor over to the injured creature before wiping away the tears that threatened to spill. Ruby noticed the hesitant step of the fox and merely wanted to help, motioning towards the makeshift yet comfortable resting spot. "Here, lay down and rest. You shouldn't move that leg too much since you're still injured. You might strain it above its current ability otherwise." The young girl spoke without any question or hesitation, for she had trained in the medical arts of a Miko since she was even younger. The vixen chose to listen to the Miko's advice and stepped on the pillow awkwardly with her wrapped leg, and simply sat and looked at the brunette while her two tails were consciously pulled over her front paws to serve as a source of warmth and comfort.

With a bow of her head, it came to realization that the brunette made the mistake of giving the deity an order. A hasty apology was forced from her mouth in hopes the kitsune would forgive her. "Please forgive me; I did not mean to give you orders, it is merely a habit to look out for the well-being of others. You must be in mourning, I deeply apologize." Ruby's tone became weak as she had got stuck on the fact that both she and her father were unable to get to the village in time to stop the Oni before the town became ruins. Ruby raised her head to see the fox studying her with a curious tilt of her head, but the ice blue eyes of the beautiful creature were still dulled with sadness.

The angle of the kitsune's head caused a question to pop into the brunette's mind. "Can you speak..? The end of her sentence was drawn out and hesitant to avoid offending the female as her gray eyes locked on the powerful vixen's cerulean ires. The vixen opened her jaw slightly to give a soft yip, the playful act easing the tension in the room. "No, no. With words?" The amused Miko lit up as her curiosity and yearn to learn about the kitsune grew, her curiousness obvious to the white fox. "I mean, of course, you can, you're a kitsune. I meant to ask if you would say something?" Momentarily mumbling to herself, the young girl looked at her hands fiddling with her long sleeves and then back at the kitsune with a smile.

The white fox had impulsively twitched her tails as she silently debated on whether or not she should actually communicate with the female Miko. She was reluctant in speaking, but the compassionate words and looks she had already gotten from the child had sent her feeling obligated to at least give her something back. In an odd way, both the Miko and the vixen were able to bond over the accident that took place the day before, despite the situation not being the best thing to bond over. They both unconsciously felt responsible for the disaster the night before, and it acted as a start to an icebreaker for the two.

 _ **No god or man could have predicted or ceased the attack of Oni in our village human. It was... On our behalf, this happened now. We as spirits failed to serve those who offered us their prayers of security and messages of our God.** _ An immediate expression of integrity and remorse was evident from the vixen's change of tone to both she and the child as her eyes lingered in the direction of the window, contemplating the best choice of words to tell her story to the child. Images of the battle before vividly still looming over her mind as she adjusted her hind legs beneath her on the pillow before her mind steadily forgot the presence of the Miko as a time before crossed her mind. _**Their trust, so enduring that it was there at a time not even I was there. Cherish-able regardless, for we served the village for as long as our generations could; when even in the end? Their trust was misplaced and ruined.** _ Rapid patterns of her heart thumped with each image of smiling faces she had grown accustomed to before the eventually vanished from though as if they were never there, to begin with.

Her ears were filled with the short laughs of innocent youth as time progressed until the attack and replaced the area with pleads for help. The village she learned many secrets of was now never going to return to its original state, and while she might not have been as well loved as the youngest kitsune, she adored those who visited the shrine. _ **We were told to watch them from afar and not to interact physically much with the beings. We heard many stories from those who visited our host's shrine and saw many varieties of humans. Big, small, skinny, and big.**_ It felt as if it would be easier for her to dwell on the past rather than carry on towards the future alone, for she had 200 years worth of memories in just that of a blink of an eye. Humans are far too fragile to build anything with anymore. So the gods denied nothing further than messages for interaction.

Her heart beat as if it would burst out of her chest at any second as she closed her eyes and laid her head down on her front paws. _**The gods were right, and so was my father. I guess this is my form of punishment for not accepting we are to bear our gifts alone.**_ The vixen quieted down as the room fell silent immediately after she finished speaking and yet she felt as if the human was judging her for even her mistakes now, and for once, she felt the human had the right to. She forced a sigh from her throat in an attempt to relieve the anxious feeling swelling in her chest as the human remained silent, neither giving any indications of her position, or emotions about the story until she suddenly began shuffling. A warm sensation of palm gently resting in between her ears caught the vixen off guard as she tensed up as the fur on her back rose.

"My father use to read me bedtime stories when I was little of gods who carried their doings on this earth alone. Those humans and gods were only to interact to protect the earth, but I never really agreed with how the stories went along. Nobody deserves to bear things alone, even if they're god, spirit, or human. You lost your family, your home, your shrine, your past. Depending on someone during this is okay. It's not easy to deal with." The young Miko's voice trailed off as the kind, and gentle words had reached the vixen, her ears twitching with the unfamiliar touch of the child stroking her thick white fur.

The affection from the brunette eventually caused the Kitsune to relax under the warm pressure of the young Miko's hand. "I know how it is to be alone. You don't have to deal with it alone like so many others have to. I suggested an actual conversation because I thought maybe you would want to..talk about it with me. My job as a Miko is to keep the peace within our town, so I will not allow spirits and gods to suffer like this. Although it is a small myth to say that telling your troubles to a stranger can help with easing your mind." An uneasy tail sway from the fox came to a halt as she forced her eyes open in minor shock that such a young human could grasp the concept of such things. Her words managed to send the vixen into lifting her head from her resting place and redirecting her attention to the Miko, whose expression seemed still troubled by problems that were completely unrelated to her.

The uneasy beat of the vixen's heart steadily calmed down for the first time in the past two days as the child smiled down at her, causing a warm sensation to waver over her. _**Long ago, there was a god who fell for a mortal. Their love end tragically, and ours was thought to be no different from theirs. But this is my story of how even ancient tales and rules of mortals, spirits, and gods were broken. We were no doubt scandalous in the beginning, to start a tale of hell upon earth, and even though that is true. I don't my regret choice. I don't regret letting her in. Happiness? Between a deity and a Miko? It's possible for all, but this is where we begin our promise for each other return home someday together.**_

* * *

 ** _Welcome to Promise Returnal, a new fiction by yours truly. Pure. I have decided that having a new story out of the three that are all somewhat old would be a good change of pace, and this is what it resulted in. I noticed Weiss fits the personality and looks of that of kitsunes and can really make sense with her since most people make her a fox Faunus. But has anyone stopped and considered an actual fox Weiss? This is merely a prologue, so there will always be unanswered questions about the time period it starts at or begins at for those are later answered. I once again tried my hardest to portray a proper Kitsune, and while I did leave some things out such as her life stone essentially, that will be cleared up later._**

 ** _This is, however, a memory is the one thing I will state before now moving onto the quotes to end this chapter on._**

 **Our uniqueness makes us special, makes perception valuable- but it can also make us lonely. This loneliness is different from being 'alone': You can be lonely even surrounded by people. The feeling I'm talking about stems from the truth of who we are. I experienced this acutely at an early age. -By Amy Tan**

 **"Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships." – STEPHEN R. COVEY**

 **This was a story created by both me and my girlfriend so I hope you all look forward to the next chapter and enjoy your day or night. Until the next chapter guys.**

 **Pure out**

 **Ash respectfully out**


	2. Found You - Entry 2

Obscured by the perpetual shades of dusk that covered the land and gates of the Sutou shrine, resided the silent Kitsune, who rested upon the crimson-coated gates of the entrance with an expression that betrayed nothing. Only that of the moon and starry sky reflected the light from her dark blue irises as they mindlessly roved the lands, keeping up with those that weaved and navigated their way through the village for the billionth time. It had become a redundant act of returning to her spot over the past six years, as nothing within their village ever seemed to change or grow. It had felt as if the village itself had found the answers of how time and space could be recycled or even stopped. The idea would've been crazy to most, but it was possible, for they lived in a time where monsters, gods, and spirits such as herself served for different purposes; whether they were useful, or not.

An unpleasant scowl formed momentarily on her expression as the thought of being considered useful or not, stumped her. She lingered upon the topic for a considerably long period of time before her ears swiveled intently at the sounds of the children calling out to each other. Their voices echoed freely off the walls of the stairwell that led back into the village as they made their way home, turning even more distant by the second until eventually, they were gone.

She continued to remain in her spot as the once radiant landscape had now been becoming enshrouded by the luminous moonlight overhead. Her paws kneaded down into the wood of the gate as her tail flicked off the edge and dangled in content now, as she had completed another normal day for the 2191st one. She closed her eyes and gathered back her thoughts as she pondered over whether or not she would take a nap just for the sake of boredom when suddenly she felt her ears impulsively rouse about again.

An enclosing sound of wings fluttering close by earned a low and unhappy groan from the vixen as she attempted to curl up tighter at the sound of a raspy voice that soon joined. **For being the age you are in human years and kitsunes kid, you're all over the place. I've been wondering where you took off to after your outburst and retrieval of news from the old man. You should know better than causing such a commotion like that when the spirits here are still wary of your presence. I cannot promise you a good reputation around here for much longer, especially if you keep rejecting my helping offers.**

She paused for a moment only to open her right eye lazily and glance beside her, where stood casually was the black crow, with its crimson eyes burning into hers. An odd look for some such of their rank. She couldn't help but force out an amused snort from her nose before nestling more into the wood as if to completely disregard it. Albeit, though, it wasn't as if she hadn't believed he truly wanted to help her these last few year, but instead, it was the fact she didn't care as to what the other spirits thought. The moment action and choice the vixen made in that instance, however, not once went unnoticed by the feathery creature as it hobbled its way towards the tip of her tail. Only to seconds later bite it's beak into the fur until it both touched flesh and startled the vixen.

Her sharp and pained yelp sent other birds within the area scattering from trees as she reeled around on her paws in anger. Pearly white teeth showed vividly in the night as she threateningly snarled at the person sitting confidently upon the gate with her now. Through the man's pale mask, in which the beak extruded outward were the same pair of daunting red eyes, staring back at her in content. She only managed to partially see the smirk underneath the beak of the mask as his wings stretched out to their full length, casting ominous shadows beneath them as he popped his back. **You really don't seem to learn well do you, kid? But I guess it is no shock, being as most people can conclude that some foxes are a little slower than others. You wouldn't happen to be one of them, right?**

Each Individual strand of hair stood up on the back the vixen's neck as she gritted her teeth in annoyance of the man's taunting before reluctantly relaxing. She then relieved her stance of its defensive nature and situated herself onto her hind legs beside the man, huffing as she peered in the direction he was looking at and spoke up in a flustered tone. **You are quite the brave and yet stupid creature yourself then, being as you blindly follow the words of those old and incompetent spirits. Fools I call, as It doesn't take a genius to realize she will be back. Six years ago she admitted she would and as the spirit who does not lightly take promises, I hold her on that.** The once agitated tone of her voice softened as a familiar sensation of warmth began forming in her chest at the thought of trust the brunette child had built up between the pair rose. That mortal is odd with her ways, but I do not doubt her. She's proven to be very determined in her life, and it's rather an admirable trait indeed.

Captivated by both the silence of night and expression of forlorn appearing only momentarily on the vixen, the Tengu peered intently in her direction before eventually cracking a smile. It was an expression he knew all too well to be fooled by her upfront. He then moderately raised his hand without little warning and moved it over to the Kitsune's head to gently pat it, as if to snap her out of a possible trance before speaking.

 **You know what, kid? I like you, so I'll tell you that years before Ruby was even brought into this world, I was treated no differently than you had been over these last few years by the council. Maybe that's why I'm here for you to the best extent I can, but even so, I have become a part of the council and I have to abide by their guides. Even if I know it's not right either sometimes. To top that off, we both know she will return soon, and I don't think you should put some else's gut feeling over your own. She's your host correct? It would only make sense to trust your own opinion rather than others.**

She took a moment to truly soak in the Tengu's comment before eventually breaking thought and inhaling heavily through her nose, as the action of adjusting back onto her paws earned an odd feeling in her legs from having fallen asleep. In which minutes after standing up, she began stretching her legs out with small steps forward, grumbling in distaste for the six sense of the pair of crimson irises tracking her every movement with interest. It was easy to shrug off, however, as she known he would not have stopped her for padding off further in the opposite direction from him until eventually reaching the edge of the gate and speaking up softly. **Ευχαριστώ. _Thanks._**

The sincerity of her thanks wavered momentarily as her ears rose to the gentle winds tugging at the sensitive fur surrounding her face before the breezy treeline caught the attention of the vixen. Prompted from her spot by the tempting sight, she vaulted from the gate and onto the rough bark of a tree limb which was easy to leap to due to it being generally parallel to the long foraged earth below her. The sensation of the pair of eyes straying in her direction continued as she padded her way down the sun-warmed wood until she was able to gracefully hop back down to the long-grassed patch of the shrine. Her muscles easily flexed and adjusted to the distance and weight of her body on her front paws, yet she was still unnerved by the Tengu.

She knew the Tengu well enough to comprehend the fact that he never overstayed his visits, yet despite the fading feeling of his eyes leaving her, she couldn't help but spare an occasional glance back in his direction. Cleared of where he once sat, his previous spot eventually washed away of his scent due to the winds.

The curious irises of the vixen shifted from the gate back to the treeline while the shadows of large thick clouds rolled over the subtly unflat landscape. While years of wandering and taking in the same landscape the shrine had to offer day after day, the white fox believed the sky would never lose its enticing view. Tearing her attention away from the beauty of the sky, Weiss padded aimlessly under the shadows cast by the treetops. She felt calm as nothing, in particular, ran through her mind, the relaxing moment seeming right.

Roving further within the forest, the brittle leaves underneath her paws softly crunched from her weight as she continued to slowly stroll through the seemingly endless towers of trees. The overwhelming sap from the trees filled the air, yet the vixen noticed an underlying scent she couldn't quite place. The fur inside of her ears still gently tousled by the wind, she steadily approached the decent sight of the wall that offered an open view of the lanterns and admired their slow placings around the village as dawn crept around the corner to an end.

The breathtaking sight beckoned her to place a front paw completely on the crumbling edge of the earth and allowed her eyes to cast out away from the village and into the vast orange and red sky. Hues from the two dawn-like colors collided into one another and the clouds seemed to disperse into the horizon as they did every setting of the sun. Nothing ever seemed to change inside of the village, and it was apparent that no one aged even if they did.

It was as the sky had placed a life of eternal beauty upon the village. With that, the vixen couldn't have felt more mixed feelings about whether or not she belonged there any longer. The kitsune patiently waited as she held the brunette strongly to her promise about meeting back in the shrine when the girl was ready to begin taking on the respective duties. Even before she left, the four years the pair had spent together growing accustomed to each other's presence, was the only real reason that the Kitsune remained within the village. She would, of course, try and deny her reasonings with the others, but when the realization that six years had pass since then processed finally, the scent of sweetness began to loom heavily in their area. Somewhere nearby.

With the strategic consideration of making it down the hillside, Weiss's paws gently kneaded the earth beneath her as a heavy scent of sweetness loomed around her nose. A sharp exhale forced itself out of the vixen's throat as she gingerly placed a paw in front of her and dug her nails into the downward slope, as not to lose her paws under her. As she thought of her previous wishes of trying not to lose her footing, the vixen then felt her heart wrench at the undeniable feeling of her back paw slipping. With feeble attempts to dig her nails further in the dirt, the loosened soil only resulted in her paw slipping more and causing her to lurch forward into a somersault down the hill with a loud yelp following the motion.

Desperately digging at the earth with her outstretched claws, the vixen fought to slow her momentum down the hill before reaching an eventual stop. After what seemed like an eternity of sliding down the hill, the kitsune ended in an awkward sitting position on the large slope of the hill. Sighing after her conflict had seemed to stop for the moment, the vixen hesitantly rose her hips back up just enough to where her hips and tails were still low to the ground. After realizing how dirty her coat had gotten in her tumble down the hill, she took a moment to regain her bearings and gave her chest a quick lick before continuing down to the flattened ground with a stumble.

As she tried to take another step forward into the woods, a sensation of pain shot up her leg and the vixen gritted her teeth. Forcing herself to hurry into the trees before the scent was lost to the pine scent of the trees and cooked food from the village, she weaved and hobbled in between the large trunks. She noticed the scent was moving in the opposite direction from her as her nose was stuck up into the air, able to distinguish where the scent led. What was your reasoning for making them all believe you would not return?

It didn't take a fool to notice the abnormal pause in the person's retreat, but the vixen chose to keep her pace until the understanding of why the girl turned and headed to the village entered her mind. It wasn't safe for both the girl and vixen to be away from the shrine grounds, for the woods surrounding the village were still filled with wolves that seemed to respect those in the village itself, but out of it was a different case. I wonder how I ever thought it was a good idea to be paired with such an idiot host or village.

Surrounding sounds and shadows trailed behind the snow white vixen as she stood out the most when padding on through the grass, her ears twitching and rousing at every chirp and hoot a cricket or owl made. She had to remain on high alert as during her time around the crow; she did learn how she could potentially become cornered by the creatures that roamed the forest at night. Her ability to create and control fire in such small areas could have caused mayhem for other around, and with that thought in mind, she continued to keep her guard up until her irises locked onto a particular figure in the distance. Cascading down the slim shoulder of a female figure was crimson tainted tips that eventually faded into brown as they swayed gently in motion every step they took away from her.

Swaying as gentle as it was, was almost mesmerizing to the vixen, no doubt, but despite her urges to merely just watch the bystander as they made their way out of sight and out of mind. The air was filled with an almost intoxicating scent of sweetness that immediately struck her with familiarity. Her pupils dilated in realization, and her chest seized all movement as she indulged in gazing at the girl who used to be almost the same height as her now grown up almost, pacing off from her direction with little acknowledgment of her presence. Something, however, seemed to be off with the girl as she kept her shoulders down and dragged her feet through the grass.

Observing from her spot in the midst of the dense forage, the irregular beats of her heart became the only source of noise as her shadow stretch out behind her menacingly. She had been unconsciously prowling her way up closer to the brunette with shallow breaths being as she hadn't exactly known how to greet the girl properly. That was until she felt her sudden excitement finally get the better of her, and the absentminded yip of content forced itself from her throat, startling both her and the brunette. They then both froze immediately in their positions, rigid as ever until eventually the vixen noticed the brunette skeptically turning until dilated gray eyes were peering at her in instant recognition and fear.

An abnormal tinge of worry washed further over the deity as she met eyes with the brunette and noticed the expression she gave off in her direction. Fear was evident enough that she could notice it with ease, but hard to decipher where it was directed. The uncertainty of the matter no doubt stumped the vixen as she forced herself to puff out the fur on her chest and appear more confident and unthreatening. However, as she took a moment to shake out the remaining dirt from her tumble down the hill, the vixen once again noticed the gray eyes that peered behind locks of the girl's brown hair. With hopes that the fear would dissipate from her irises, the kitsune padded forward and lifted her tails into a greeting directed at the other female. After a moment of realizing that the vixen wasn't going to stop pursuing her, the brunette tore her gaze from the vixen and sprinted the opposite way.

Temporarily frozen with shock, the confused kitsune simply watched as the girl made her escape into the denseness of the trees, quickly moving as if she saw a threat. Taking heed of the possible warning, the fox turned around with her tails raised in alarm. The vixen observed nothing of the sort, but merely the woods around her. Whirling back around to where the girl fled, an annoyed yip bounced through the forest, and the vixen realized the reason for the brunette fleeing was her. Offended at the rude greeting, the white fox clenched her teeth and took off after the girl with equal speed. Watching the trees rush past her while running after the brunette, the vixen was Yelping after the brunette in feeble attempts to make her stop running, the stubbornness only pushed the vixen on further. **What in the Gods are you doing you, idiot! I refuse to believe that you're making a spirit run, and you might injure yourself! I will not heal you if you bring this upon yourself!**

Strident blue irises remained fixated intently on the back of the brunette's head before narrowing in frustration before the girl had lifted both hands and promptly covered both of her ears. She then began chanting over and over in a childish voice as her head lowered down to the ground. "La-La-La, I think you might have the wrong person! Sorry for causing your stroll and inconvenience! Forget you saw me here!" An expression of worry betrayed momentarily on the vixen as she watched the brunette stagger clumsily to the right and nearly run directly into a tree. In which she hesitantly furrowed her brow and clenched her teeth before becoming more agitated as she bounced painfully on her sprained paw in an attempt to catch the insufferable brunette. "Haa I only just got out here moments ago and came from a village many many miles away from this place, and I've never seen you before in my life, so I'm just gonna leave now and figure out where I am!"

As the brunette's quick and unintelligible string of words came tumbling from her non-stop moving lips, it only succeeded in forcing the vixen's white fur to stand on end in hostility as she spoke up. **You Know damn well where you are! Now just quit running before you gather more attention from the rest of the forest creatures!** After scolding the brunette to a necessary extent, the vixen's then gracefully collected herself and leaped onto a fallen log with a stumble. Hesitation wavered openly in her irises as she adjusted her paws to bunch up in preparation for her final attack, in which with one last thought, she pushed down against the bark with all her might and lunged at the brunette. The sensation of muscles shifting placement and her stomach churning almost violently, her body finally collided into the brunette's back with force, sending them both tumbling. Albeit, from the painful sound of the brunette's face smacking into the grassy forest floor, the vixen could easily determine who really took the fall.

Low groans from both of the fallen females sounded out in the relatively silent forest as the loose dirt was floating around from the impact on the dry earth. Pinning her ears into the white and long tresses of hair to keep the excessive dirt from floating into places dirt shouldn't be, the deity lifted her body and felt as her hair shifted and spread down her bare, porcelain back. The heat flowing down her back arose from the annoyance she felt due to the current dilemma as she curled her tails around herself, noting the pain that came with the movement.

After adjusting where her hands held her body up on the brunette, the deity lifted her head higher and sniffed at the scent-meddled air where an animal was easily distinguishable among the forest smells. With the realization that it was possibly investigating the scents of the two women, the white-haired woman grew more irritated. Gods save your soul, you fool. You're attracting unwanted attention and caused me to shift into this uncanny, useless form. Collecting herself once again, the kitsune groaned from the pain in her muscles and raised herself up on the brunette till she was standing, none too gently jumping off of her back to where the brunette let out a pain-filled whine.

The whining brunette stayed in her unmoving spot as the deity tested out her new body, taking a couple of steps from the brunette as her legs tried to steady themselves. The recovering vixen took more stumbling steps and stared into the ominous trees to search for any nearby threats. Swiveling ears took in the different sounds of the forest as she sought for the source of the animal that she discovered previously sleuthing around.

Patches of moonlight poured in through the crooks and crannies of parted leaves until both were illuminated in a pale shade of white, while stood tall was the deity. Her prestigious white tufts of fur swept across the grass indignantly upon keeping an intense glare pointing in the brunette's direction as she whimpered and whined. Enclosing noises of snarled and snorts only resulted in the deity remaining on high alert as she noticed the brunette lifting her face from the dirt and glancing over towards her, tearing welling up in the corner of her eyes as she kept eye contact for the first time.

Her voice nearly sent chills down her bare back at the tone of distance and practically berating. Something she had never heard. "We wouldn't have to worry about stirring attention out here if you hadn't chased me or tackled me in human form! I didn't ask you to do any of this, and I just don't understand your motives." The chiding comment earned a startled reaction from the deity as she lowered her ears and scowled at the oddity behind the brunette personality.

"Then why did you run from me when you recognized it was me? I do not understand your motives, Ruby." Hearing late complaints from the brunette about the deity stepping on her back, the white-haired woman continued to pace around until she smoothly scooped up a pine cone in her human hand, only to turn around and whip it back at the mortal. Rolling her eyes at the loud yelp that made its way out of the brunette's throat, the kitsune flicked the tips of her tails in irritation and turned back towards the mortal. "That is what you get for abandoning your village, Ruby. People are extremely worried." The servant of the gods lowered her head indignantly and took several steps closer to the female still on the forest floor, who was struggling to climb to her knees.

As she lifted an eyebrow at the brunette, the smug deity watched as her gaze returned with a blank look from the brunette. Her once childish features were covered in bits and smudges of grime from the earth as she supported herself in a crouched position. It had almost seemed as if it was a resentful glare before she quietly spoke up. "Don't pin this incident on me, Weiss, I only wanted to spend some time without others leaning over my shoulder to explore beyond the village.." The brunette then immediately nestled her head into her shoulders as she finally averted her attention to the ground when noticing the accusing squint. Neither seemed to speak up until sudden the sound of another pinecone hitting the brunette's forehead this time scared the birds from the trees, and the brunette covered her head impulsively. "Ouch! What's with you Weiss! Why are you being like this and what in the Hades have I ever done to you?!"

"It's not what you did to me Ruby, but what you are saying to me. It almost gives off the impression you think I'm a fool who can't decipher between the truth and a lie, but if you truly want to proceed this nonsense, I'm positive I can find a couple more pine cones." Another small step towards the brunette sent the girl cowering as she held her arms to hide her face, a tiny squeak forcing itself from her throat as she waited to feel a burn of sharp edges. However, when seconds ticked by and not another sound was made from the deity, she glanced back only to notice she had stopped in confusion. She knew she had messed up once again.

"I haven't lied to you… Is it wrong that I want to see what's out there besides the life of a miko? I just wanted to have fun before returning home, but my original plan doesn't seem that it'll play out the way I wanted with you doing stuff like this." Stubbornness from the brunette was apparent as she let out a huff to blow the short bangs from in front of her gray eyes. The other female merely fiddled with the pine cone present in her hand as she placed her other hand on her hip while shifting her weight to make it obvious that she was prepared to whip the small object at the mortal. The vixen refused to play this game with the girl. "Wait no! Don't hurt me! You made your point, I'm sorry! I wasn't raised to avoid questioning…" A sigh of defeat came from the brunette as she lowered her voice and glanced in the deity's direction. "It's just… I didn't intend to appear harsh to you, and I would only succeed in misleading the villagers if I failed as a miko in the long run. My father is the best in that line of work, and it isn't simple for me to just take his place. I need to get away from the village before I fail everyone, including my father…" The brunette stared at the ground as tears began to well in the corners of her eyes. Silence once again enveloped the atmosphere which only resulted in the intensifying glare that shot in the mortal's direction by the white haired woman.

The brunette was left cowering in the dark as the wavering moonlight finally retreated from the surrounding of the duo, only causing the mortal to pull her knees tight to her chest as she struggled to keep herself composed. Icy blue eyes softened in sympathy as she witnessed the falling state of the mortal. The deity proceeded in taking a few steps in the brunette's direction which only earned a wince, which made the godly woman realize that her host was still merely a child in some manners. Oddly enough, the long-living kitsune understood the same behaviors that held the brunette in such a state. "Despite the number of years that seem to pass Ruby, you appear to stay unchanging. I cannot say it is the best, but I cannot say it is the worst either. You are clumsy, and you do not seem to succeed to surpass your father when it comes to the villager's eyes." Sparing a glance at the mortal, the white-haired woman paused and watched as the brunette widened her gray eyes in disbelief at her words. The same gray eyes noticed the dignified expression the deity always wore but grew astonished at the oddly comforting posture the kitsune offered.

Ruby, in turn, allowed her shoulders to lower further as she held her knees firmly against her chest as it heaved in exhausted, her voice seeming like nothing more than a whisper as she murmured. "You know Weiss, maybe that is true about me, but did you really have to make me feel more of a failure than I am? I wasn't fishing for compliments, or even pity from you; I just. I don't know anymore." Chills made their way down the brunette's spine as she furrowed her brows and tried to curl further into her knees as if she would have disappeared if she tried harder. It had hurt her worse than she thought it would have to hear the truth out loud, especially when it came from the person she had grown to admire still even if.

The sudden thought was quickly dispersed as from the corner of her peripheral she noticed the deity crossing her arms and shaking her head before speaking up. **For being the next Miko of the shrine, I must admit you jump far too fast into making short accusations. For you see, nobody in your village nor the next seems to be the same as the other person that walks by. Related or not. You and your father are from two different generations of time, or even eras if you must go that far for reassurance. Your generation of obligations will most certainly be both new and even odd, but that from what I see to be** the normal **for you mortals. Yet it is also the same for some spirits. Don't think of this as me giving you pity or anything of the sort; it's just valuable information. After all, I believe I am reaching my ends wits with the spirits of your village, and I require you for safety by this point.**

Pupils belonging to the brunette dilated in response to everything the other woman had said. Gray eyes watched as the white haired woman raised her palm in between them both only to ignite a small flame in the center of her pale hand. The conjured fire held the image of the miko's father alone at home, staring solemnly at the shrine dedicated to her mother as he drank his coffee. The image appearing in the flame fed by Weiss caused the brunette to sharply inhale in the realization that by that point she understood a decent amount of the fox's talents, which consisted of illusions and similar work of sorts. She bit down on her lip as the nervousness of why the vixen would go as far as she did take hold of her until she could work up the nerve to speak up. "What is your purpose for showing me this? Is this your way to coax me home?" The question only succeeded in catching the vixen off guard before she lowered her hand to her side and pinned her ears back and allowed the agitation show through as she shook her head.

 **You of all people should know that I neither gain anything from saying this to you or represent anything meaningless. All I could possibly gain from our predicament is more respect and authority at the shrine, but instead, I merely state observations. Your father is beginning to worry more than he did before you had left, and that's all the information I can verbally tell you. Kitsunes do not pry into matters that do not benefit them in any manner, but since you are my host, I figured this would mean something more to you.** Pride and dignity that once stayed evident in the deity's posture slackened until a sense of compassion was radiating from her as she finally uncrossed her arms. "But the real core of this topic is you are my host now, and so if you refuse to return to the shrine for your ridiculous reasons. Then I shall follow close behind, for when one promises to a kitsune, they're held to it til' either death, or it is fulfilled. You swore to me that day, and I will never take it lightly."

Hearing the deity's soft voice in such a sudden manner shocked the brunette before slowly glancing up to see the weary look to the kitsune's cerulean eyes. The white-haired woman turned away smoothly before taking a few steps from the mortal, only to spare a glance over her shoulder with the slightest of glares to her icy irises, her voice becoming low. "You are expected to return and be my host... If you do not take the consideration of returning home, then you will always return to me. You will not argue further with me on this matter. Do not wander off; I shall return. It is too dark for further travel if that is what you intend on doing." A gentle snort had escaped the woman before she raised her right hand high enough to light a small dry log on fire, proceeding to shift back into her smaller vixen form. Not sparing a second glance back to the mortal, the fox immediately scampered off into the darkness of the woods, merely leaving the startled brunette to stare into the godly summoned fire.

The fire crackled and popped in reaction to the wood beneath it as the brunette remained sat in her spot, taking in her surroundings as an impending feeling of dread washed over her. It had been the first time since the duo had met that she had ever seen the deity in such a fluster towards her for her faults. There they were, in the center of an area nearly uncharted and she couldn't have even thanked the deity for coming to her side and showing loyalty. She knew it was wrong for taking her frustration out on the deity, and yet, she couldn't help herself anymore, and so she sat there doing the only thing she could. Obediently waiting for the returnal of her friend. "You know, I could have sworn when we made a promise between host and spirit, I was the host or uh, leader. Not this. I don't even think even if I wanted to run off; I'd get far. Seeing as it's pitch black tonight with all these trees."

With a sigh, she fell on her back to stare up at the swaying branches above her as the curious gray eyes searched beyond the canopy and to the dim glow of the stars. Slowly pushing her forearms under her head to act as a cushion on the surprisingly hard ground, the brunette shifted around on her back to comfortably relax as her ears began to block out the gentle forest sounds. Minutes passed while sitting in silence to the point where her eyelids became droopy, and she struggled to keep them open while her mine was temporarily and innocently at peace. Hours had to have passed when a soft yet warm presence took place against her side. The forest-like scents lingering on the long haired vixen had found its way to the mortal's nose caused by the gentle winds blowing the kitsune's distinctive scent into her face.

An odd sensation of warmth welled up in the brunette's chest as she felt her familiar companion curl beside her, bringing back memories of the times they had rested together in the shade during summer weekends. The thought was enough to bring a smile to her face as she tried her best to remain still, as to not disturb the deity whose breathing was almost matching that of her own. She couldn't help herself but wonder as to what the deity was thinking of in that moment, but the thought was quickly diverted as she felt a couple of goosebumps forming on her arms.

The comforting pressure against her side soon shifted and made its way to the center of her mid torso, where the brunette could feel each warm paw steadily step atop of her consistently slow down as the pressure spread out on her belly. It was evident that the light-footed vixen had moved on top of Ruby, and the pressure from the warm deity was pleasant to the brunette. She was unable to fall asleep, and in doing so, she took care to be aware of her breathing, careful to keep the rise and fall of her torso to a minimum as not to disturb the resting fox. The scent of the silver coat only made more intense by the moonlight helped Ruby to relax. Despite everything, she still couldn't fall asleep.

As she laid there with a napping fox on her torso, the brunette's mind wandered in many vast directions. There was no particular end to the different outcomes that played through her mind. How would the people react to her coming back into the village? The brunette thought about walking past curious and accusing eyes along the path, almost as if she was a scolded dog. She resisted the urge to release an irritated sigh. The soft breathing from the small vixen had reached the brunette's ears, and the comforting sound tugged her lips up into a smile, despite her previous moment of self-pity. Thoughts of the vixen feeling enough comfort around her to be able to go as far as sleeping with her were simply astonishing to the mortal. Her heart thumped harder in affection of the small creature and seemed to warm her up in the cold forest night.

This was how her life was bound to always end up with, and for that moment. Just only that moment. She was willing to live and forget

* * *

 _ **Welcome to another chapter of Promise return as always, and I hope you enjoyed/enjoy the story.**_

 _ **Sorry, I'm giving this chapter pretty late guys. I know I did somewhat promise that this was going to be a consistent story and I'm hoping next chapter will be easier to edit. Ash once again as always helped edit this chapter with even going as far as writing a good proportion of the bottom half, hence why if you notice a difference in writing I ask you don't get too upset. It's harder nowadays to write with the little motivation or response to my stories, but anyways, as I always ask. Please favorite, review, or follow if the story interest you at all. I love hearing feedback or talking to my readers.**_

 **Running away from your problems is a race you'll never win- Unknown.**

 **You can run away from yourself so often, and so much, just because the broken pieces of you cut your feet too deeply if you stay around for too long. But then what if someone were to come along and pick up those pieces for you? Then you wouldn't have to run away from yourself anymore. You could stop running. If someone sees you as something worth staying with— maybe you'll stay with yourself, too."**  
 **― C. JoyBell C.**

 **"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live."**  
 **― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust: First Part**

 **"What the mind can conceive and believe, and the heart desire, you can achieve."**  
 **― Norman Vincent Peale**

 _ **This was a story created by both me and my fiance so I hope you all look forward to the next chapter and enjoy your day or night. Until the next chapter though guys.**_

 _ **Pure out**_

 _ **Ash respectfully out** _


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